When Did 'Duck Dynasty's' Phil Robertson Say Men Should Marry Girls At 16 So They 'Pick Your Ducks?'

Just as “Duck Dynasty's” Phil Robertson was reinstated after his comments on homosexuality in a GQ interview stirred controversy, a shocking story about the 67-year-old reality star has emerged. He apparently preached in 2009 that men should marry women when they are still in high school.

“You got to marry these girls when they are about 15 or 16. They’ll pick your ducks,” the New York Daily News quoted the country millionaire saying at a Sportsmen’s Ministry retreat in Georgia four years ago.

Though “pick your ducks” sounds like a euphemism for something naughty, it’s actually when the feathers are plucked off a dead duck -- a job traditionally reserved for women. The A&E star, naturally, married his wife Kay when she was 16.

“Make sure that she can cook a meal. You need to eat some meals that she cooks, check that out,” Robertson said. He then held up his Bible and continued to preach what he called “river rat counseling.”

“Make sure she carries her Bible,” he added. “That’ll save you a lot of trouble down the road. And if she picks your ducks, now, that’s a woman.”

Robertson, by the way, happens to have a 16-year-old granddaughter, Saddie, whose goals seem quite different from picking a man’s ducks since she’s an aspiring fashionista.

During the speech, he acknowledges that a teenager should consult with her parents before making a decision to marry: “You need to check with mom and dad about that of course.”

Why does a man need to get a gal while she’s still a teen? Well, according to “Phil’s-osophy,” 20-year-old women are more interested in money than taking care of their husbands.

“Mainly because these boys are waiting until they get to be about 20 years old before they marry ’em,” he said. “Look, you wait until they get to be 20 years old, the only picking that’s going to take place is your pocket.”

"Duck Dynasty" is one of the top reality shows on television, even beating out E! Network's "Keeping Up With The Kardashians." The Robertson family has been on television since March 2012.